Does spending more than £20m on one player guarantee you they will succeed in the Premier League?

[Maravilloso Marvo]

I thought I would take a look at players who cost over £20mln. These are some of my favourites.

Mario Balotelli £24,500,000
James Milner £26,000,000
Emmanuel Adebayor £25,000,000
Joleon Lescott £22,000,000
Robinho £32,500,000
Romelu Lukaku £20,000,000
Fernando Torres £50,000,000
David Luiz £26,000,000
Andrei Shevchenko £30,000,000
Shaun Wright-Phillips £21,000,000
Stewart Downing £20,000,000
Andrew Carroll £35,000,000
Juan Veron £28,100,000

[Rich]

I hope we sign him.

[Dorset Gooner]

plus some of those went on to win the Pl & CL so not sure your point is valid actually.

[pjlincs]

[Maravilloso Marvo]

But is he Chelsea quality, CL quality? £20mln on an 18 year old who has played 10 games for Chelsea?

[Maravilloso Marvo]

[Maravilloso Marvo]

http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premiership-transfers/chelse a-transfers.html (http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premiership-transfers/chelsea-transfers.html)

Or £19.3million here, depending on your fx rate... - http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/chelsea-fc/transfers-alle/ verein_631.html (http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/chelsea-fc/transfers-alle/verein_631.html)

[Dorset Gooner]

[pjlincs]

[Maravilloso Marvo]

Who has played 10 games for them so far.

A player is an asset who depreciates in value over the length of his contract. I have no idea, but say he is on a 5 year contract and signed for £20m. In simple terms, he depreciates £4m per season. So at the end of his contract he is worth £0 as he is able to leave on a free. So after 2 years, they have had 8 performances back from him and it has cost then £8m so far.

Yes, he may become a success and he may sign a new contract increasing his asset value to the club. But still, as it stands, he is a prospect. A prospect who has already cost them £8m in depreciation for 10 games.

[The Tony]

[7evens]

Carroll is the only stand out howler on that list

[pjlincs]

Oh!

[wibble the lobster]

and that involves taking punts on transfers of world class players, not all of which will work out.

if clubs like bayern and barcelona which are already full of world class talent see it as part of a wining strategy, I would suggest it is necessary for us too

[eastgermanautos]

[pjlincs]

[devongunner]

[barrybueno]

and the figures would be more realistic imo